RIDE Magazine | October 2016 1

RIDE Magazine MARCH 2017 1

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Dear Riders,

At VRE, we realize that you have many commuting options in Northern Virginia, and we are grateful you choose to ride our service. As we will explore in this issue of RIDE Magazine, I am pleased to report that our ridership numbers have been at historic highs in 2017! During each of the first four full work weeks, we exceeded 100,000 riders; a significant milestone for our service.

VRE is a critical part of a complex transportation network whose shared goal is to get people to their destinations in a safe, comfortable and reliable manner. As such, we are pleased to provide a dependable commuting alternative during the latest SafeTrack surges. We welcome riders that typically use Metro as the Washington Metro Transit Authority (WMATA) works diligently to update and repair their infrastructure. We understand that like VRE, our colleagues at WMATA place the highest priority on safety, and while they work to restore their system to a state-of good-repair, we are glad to have new riders on VRE.

I would also like to thank our regular riders who have welcomed new VRE customers. As the number of riders continues to climb, we are also working to ensure everyone has as comfortable a ride as possible. Our system is designed to handle the influx of new riders, however I am sure many of you are quite aware the sometimes-heavy volume we’re experiencing leaves some riders standing on the trains for a couple of stops. We encourage everyone to continue to be courteous to fellow passengers ensuring everyone can exit trains at their destination. We rely on our riders, both new and veteran, to help us keep our trains a relaxed environment as the working day begins and ends.

We also take pride in our ability to provide reliable, on-time service. While our over-all track record has been solid, we also understand there have been a few rough commuting days over the past few weeks due to some mechanical issues with our equipment. I apologize for the inconvenience this has caused our riders, and be assured we have been working around the clock to resolve these issues. We thank you for choosing VRE for your commute, and we look forward to continuing to provide a proven, valued service.

Sincerely,

CONTENTSRIDE MAGAZINE | MARCH 2017 FROM THE CEO

Editor in Chief: Cindy KingMagazine Design by Pulsar Advertising

Copyright © 2017 by Virginia Railway Express. All rights reserved. RIDE Magazine is a publication of the Virginia Railway Express, 1500 King Street, Suite 202, Alexandria, VA 22314. It has a distribution of approximately 11,700 copies monthly. Advertising in RIDE supports the production and printing cost. For comments, stories, suggestions, questions or advertising, please contact ride@vre.org.

02 | MIDDAY STORAGE FACILITY

03 | METRO SAFETY COMMISSION

04 | RIDERSHIP RECORD

05 | OUT & ABOUT

06 | SPOTLIGHT ON VRE CINDY KING

06 | RIDER SPOTLIGHT BETH GAMBLE

09 | PUZZLES AND SUDOKU

DOUG ALLENChief Executive Officer

SYSTEM QUESTIONS

Have questions about current and future VRE services, like Wi-Fi implementation or when new stations will open? You’re not alone. Check our Frequently Asked Questions page at: www.vre.org/service/faq

You may also submit new questions at the beginning of the month via www.vre.org/chatterbox for consideration in our live Online Forum, held the first Wednesday of every month.

DOUG ALLENChief Executive OfficerVirginia Railway Express

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS MAGAZINE

Access RIDE online at www.VRE.org/RIDE

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VRE UPDATE

VRE MEETS WITH COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TO DISCUSS NEW YARD AT IVY CITYO n February 16, 2017, Virginia Railway Express held its first public meeting for the proposed VRE Midday Storage Facility project. The

proposed location is adjacent to the Ivy City neighborhood of the District of Columbia. The Midday Storage Facility project will provide a location for storing VRE trains between morning and evening service. Currently, VRE leases storage space for this purpose from Amtrak in the Ivy City Coach Yard. Amtrak needs that space for future high speed train equipment, meaning VRE needs to relocate its

train storage facility. After considering 20 potential storage sites around the region, VRE determined the property owned by Amtrak along New York Avenue NE was the preferred location for midday storage.

The adjacent Ivy City neighborhood on the opposite side of New York Avenue NE is experiencing rapid redevelopment and reinvestment, and VRE has committed to working with the community and other stakeholders in the District to apply the best practices in urban design to enhance the quality and appearance of the existing and expanded rail facilities there. VRE will not perform maintenance or refuel its trains in the new facility and wayside power hook-ups will be provided so locomotives will not need to idle during layover.

At the meeting, VRE provided an overview of the project, described the project development process, and listened to feedback from the community. Meeting attendees asked about how the project could be incorporated into the revitalization of New York Avenue NE as a gateway to the District. The community provided suggestions for ways the project could provide a positive benefit to the community or lessen its potential visual impact, such as incorporating a multi-use trail, creating public open space, or lowering the level of the tracks to make them more concealed. The project team is exploring these options as well as the potential for using the air rights over the Amtrak property for a commercial overbuild or a possible infill commuter rail station for Ivy City.

VRE will continue to work with members of the community, elected officials in the District, stakeholders, and property owners to assess potential impacts and determine ways VRE can be a good neighbor and design the new Midday Storage Facility to help meet the needs of the community.

All the materials from the public meeting are posted on the VRE website: www.vre.org/development/midday-storage-facility.

VRE Chief Development Officer Tom Hickey reviews plans for a track under New York Avenue NE with an interested neighbor.

VRE Chief Development Officer Tom Hickey presents an overview of the Virginia Railway Express.

VRE Project Manager Oscar Gonzalez greets visitors from the neighborhoods surrounding the proposed midday train storage site.

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VRE UPDATE

The Virginia General Assembly wrapped up its annual legislative session on Saturday, February 25. Among its accomplishments was passage of legislation to create the “Metro Safety Commission.” This important legislation was a necessary step in meeting a federal requirement for Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia to establish an independent safety oversight body for the Washington Area Transit Authority (WMATA). As required by Federal law, on February 10, 2017, the Federal Transit Administration announced it would be withholding a 5% of federal formula grants beginning in fiscal year 2017 from all urbanized transit providers in each of the three jurisdictions, including VRE.

FTA’s Role in Safety OversightThe Federal Transit Administration (FTA) assumed temporary safety oversight of the Washington Area Transit Authority (WMATA) as part of a US Secretary of Transportation mandate in the fall of 2015. The FTA maintains that the oversight is ultimately a State and District responsibility, and that a new State Safety Oversight Program (SSOP) must be established and certified. Last February, the FTA informed the three responsible jurisdictions – Virginia, Maryland, and

VIRGINIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY PASSES LEGISLATION TO CREATE METRO SAFETY COMMISSION

DC – that they had one year to create a new SSOP for WMATA Metrorail that meets Federal requirements, and submit it to the FTA for certification. A new SSOP failed to form in time to meet the deadline, and on February 10th this year, the FTA announced that it will withhold five percent of the Fiscal Year 2017 transit formula for all the transit systems in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia until a new SSOP is certified.

Both Virginia and the District of Columbia have passed identical legislation to enable the establishment the Safety Commission, and Maryland is expected to follow suit prior to the end of its session this month. Once this happens, the jurisdictions will work together to hire staff, and set up operations. Once the FTA has certified that the Commission is operational, it will turn over its safety oversight responsibilities, end the financial withholding penalties, and restore any lost federal revenues. In recognition of the potential financial difficulties that this action may cause Virginia transit systems, the General Assemble also passed legislation to provide “bridge loans” to help ensure uninterrupted operations during this period.

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RIDERSHIP REACHES HISTORIC NUMBERS IN 2017VRE CARRIES 100K RIDERS A WEEK

W ith each new year, many of us resolve to make positive changes to improve the quality of our daily lives. For some of you, it seems that riding the VRE was on the top of the list for 2017!

The boom in VRE ridership is record-breaking. We exceeded 100,000 riders each week for the first four full work weeks of the year. Typically, recent dramatic spikes in ridership directly coincide with WMATA’s SafeTrack Surges, however VRE reached these record-high numbers prior to the start of the scheduled 2017 Metrorail track work.

“We are encouraged about the conclusions we can draw from the early 2017 ridership numbers,” said Doug Allen, VRE's Chief Executive Officer. “We believe this milestone suggests some new riders are staying with us after the surges conclude.”

The first time VRE reached 100,000 trips in a single week was last July during SafeTrack Surges #3 and #4. Surges #3 and #4 closed sections of both the Blue and Yellow lines in Northern Virginia. Fortunately for Metro riders, VRE provided an easy alternative method for the stops that run parallel with Metro between Springfield and Union Station. We were delighted to hear from new riders via e-mail, social media, and conversations with our conductors, that riding with us during the July surge was a positive experience, as we hope riding with us always is. The positive comments continue as we welcome new riders through the Metro surges.

VRE’s system supported the additional riders with an On-Time Performance average exceeding 90% during January and February. Many days we carried upwards of 2,000 more riders compared to the same dates last January and February. The Fredericksburg and Manassas lines shared the increase almost down the middle, at roughly 1,000 more passengers per day. In total, we carried an average increase of 10,000 more passengers a week than the same period in 2016.

The increasing ridership is why we continue to remain focused on our 2040 System Plan which will allow us to grow VRE’s capacity as the demand increases. We are focused on working together with our funding partners at the federal, state and local level to grow our system and continue to provide a safe, reliable and comfortable commute to our growing ridership.

VRE RIDERSHIP

100,000

50,000

0

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

400,000

January 2016 Febuary 2016 January 2017 Febuary 2017

FredericksburgManassas

Both Lines

COMMUNITY EVENTS

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Cabin Branch & Stone House Quilt Show Saturday April 1, 10am - 5pm, Sunday April 2, 10am - 4pmPrince William Fair Grounds

Over 200 quilts displayed, raffle, door prizes, silent auctions, quilting demonstrations, guild boutiques with handmade items and plenty of vendors. Learn more: www.cabinbranchquilters.org/quilt-show.htm

Courthouse Village Food Truck Rodeo Saturday, April 8, 11am - 3pmSpotsylvania Courthouse Village

Sample a wide selection of culinary delights from various Food Truck vendors as you enjoy relaxing music by local bands and other entertainment. For details visit: www.visitspotsy.com/food-truck

Beeping Egg Hunt Sunday, April 9, 2pm -4pmBelmont

Belmont’s sixth annual Beeping Egg Hunt for visually impaired or blind children and their families. Bring your basket for an egg hunt. Refreshments, miniature animal petting zoo, crafts and Touch a Tractor. RSVP at mdolby@umw.edu or 540-654-1851.

Family Movie Night (Ice Age) Friday, April 14, 7pmSherwood Community Center

Each family night movie is rated PG. An adult must accompany anyone under the age of 14. Donate to “Britepaths” Food Drive at Family Fun Nights. Find this event and other Sherwood Programs at: www.fairfaxva.gov

DISCOVER MERCY STREET: SHOW-INSPIRED ACTIVITIES IN ALEXANDRIAHistory buffs and mainstream TV goers alike thought they were released from the spell of the hit Civil War-era drama Mercy Street as the show concluded its second season earlier this month. However, the City of Alexandria recently announced “The Costumes of PBS’ Mercy Street” in addition to twelve Mercy Street-inspired tours.

Inspired by real events in Alexandria during the Civil War, Mercy Street depicts the city as it was in the early 1860’s – a border town between North and South, ruled under martial law. The costume exhibit and tours invite visitors to learn about cultural fashion, food, and music; the real people behind the modern-day portrayals; Civil War medicine; developing roles of mid-19th century women; and the formidable tribulations of then-enslaved African-Americans. All of this is only a few blocks from the Alexandria VRE Station.

“The Costumes of PBS’ Mercy Street” will run through September 1, 2017 at The Lyceum: Alexandria’s History Museum. The exhibit features four original costumes and historical artifacts such as furniture from the Green furniture factory and medical supplies from the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum.

The Mercy Street-inspired city walking tours and in-depth historic site tours include: • “Discovering Mercy Walking Tour” by Discover Alexandria • “Freedom’s Fight in Alexandria” tour by Manumission Tour Company • “Apothecary of Mercy Specialty Tour” at the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum • “Women of Civil War Alexandria Tour” by the National Women’s History Museum • “The Mercy Walk” by Alexandria Colonial Tours • “Mercy in Alexandria Tour” by DC Military Tours • “Beyond the Battlefield” presented by Lee-Fendall House

For exhibit details and a full list of tours, visit: www.VisitAlexandriaVA.com/mercystreet

Photo credit: M. Enriquez for Visit Alexandria

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SPOTLIGHT ON CINDY KING

BORN TO RIDE: LONGTIME VRE RIDER ENDURES LABOR ON A TRAIN

Not all employees come to the VRE with a background in transit. Such is the case with our new Marketing Administrator, Cindy King. We believe her diverse background will bring new perspective – however we also

anticipate that while her prior work history does not include transit, she is now in for the long haul with us at VRE.Like many on our team, Cindy commutes each day onboard a VRE train. Riding the VRE is something she has done off and on throughout her career beginning with her Smithsonian internship and then later to travel to client sites. She formerly boarded at the Fredericksburg station, but now starts her day at the Spotsylvania station. “While I do love the history and charm of the Fredericksburg station, I feel the Spotsylvania station really exemplifies what the VRE means to me: Convenience; Responsiveness to rider’s needs; and Development,” Cindy said.

As a passenger, Cindy sees the conductors’ emphasis on delivering everyone to their destinations as quickly and as safely as possible. As an employee, she sees the importance of safety as well as rider satisfaction is a result of the VRE’s commitment to making these the chief concerns throughout the organization.

“It’s great to see the inner workings and then to experience

the results with a first-hand view,” Cindy commented. “It’s reassuring to know that safety is engrained in the staff from day one. Plus, it’s an extremely friendly work environment.” A self-admitted “bad driver,” she is happy that the VRE provides a safe, comfortable way to commute and keeps her off the road.

“The VRE’s role in Northern Virginia’s congestion relief is quite dramatic. The plans for the future illustrate that the VRE is incredibly focused on the details, and will have an even more impressive impact on the I-95 and I-66 corridors over the next two decades,” said Cindy. “I am excited about being a part of something that improves the quality of life of so many, and really that means the lives of my fellow riders living in the suburbs – my neighbors.”

Cindy holds a BA in Art History from the University of Mary Washington. Her experience includes traditional print media, paid digital marketing and organic optimization, as well as video and events – spanning government communications, industrial marketing, and B2B and B2C e-commerce. She spends her evenings and weekends with her husband, two children, and two pugs.

B eth Gamble - a VRE rider since 2000 - recently spoke with us about her experiences with the VRE over the years. Like many, Beth told us about the strong friendships she has formed with fellow riders, that she is always impressed with the management and crews’ desire to communicate and make

improvements, and how VRE remains her preferred way to commute. Where Beth might differ from most other riders, however, is the near birth of her son on an evening train. On Friday June 17, 2005, she was preparing to leave her office and walk to the station when it happened. Her water broke. Beth and her husband, who worked in Tysons Corner at the time, weighed the options and decided that the best plan was for her to take the train home as usual and he would pick her up at the station. Self-conscious that she looked like she had wet herself, Beth kept to the grassy area behind the platform. Finally, a woman came over and asked if everything was OK. Beth explained that her water had broke and she was actually in labor. A few folks were within ear shot, and suddenly, she had a cadre of people watching over her and asking if there was anything they could do. “It was very sweet,” said Beth. “One of my best train buddies happened on the platform at that time and stayed with me on the ride, talking and making me laugh the whole ride. I made it to the hospital fairly relaxed and in plenty of time thanks to VRE and my wonderful fellow riders/friends.”

Beth’s son was almost born into this world as the youngest VRE rider in history. While he only narrowly missed that record, he soon returned as one of our junior riders. He traveled with Beth daily from ages 2 to 5, to commute to his preschool at her office. He occasionally joins her now in the summer for a downtown camp. She still gets many inquiries from fellow passengers who have watched him grow up on the train.

MARKETING ADMINISTRATOR

Photo by: Jeff Gamble

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PUZZLE SOLUTIONSGet Noticed With VRE Advertising

VRE carries 20,000 passengers every workday and 70 percent of passengers have an annual household income of more than $100,000.

Reach our passengers with advertising opportunities on our platforms, in our trains and through our award-winning RIDE Magazine.

For more information go to www.vre.org/advertising or contact advertising@vre.org or (703) 838-5425.

SWITCH TO VRE MOBILE VRE UPDATE

VRE SCHEDULE CHANGE

T he new VRE Train Schedule went into effective March 6, 2017. The schedule contains some minor adjustments to accommodate new train travel patterns along the Northern Virginia rail corridor. We encourage VRE riders to access

the schedule on their smartphone or other mobile devices through VRE’s Mobile App or website: vre.org

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SUDOKU

RAIL TIME PUZZLES

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